Shapewear is a wonderfully beneficial product – just ask celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow, Jessica Alba, and Oprah who know shapewear is the safe way to a tight tummy and slim curves.
However, while shapewear is an awesome way to get the flawless silhouette you’ve dreamed of, you must be smart about your quest for a beautiful figure.
While the concept, “If it hurts, you’re wearing the wrong size,” is a straightforward one, women nationwide still regularly suffer simply because they wear the wrong size shapewear. Luckily, avoiding potential health issues is easy. Remember that when it comes to shapewear, tighter is not better. In fact, tighter can even be harmful. Here’s how to make sure you’re wearing the right size shapewear.
1. Get Measured
The best way to determine the right size for you is measuring yourself or getting professionally measured. Most shapewear manufacturers provide a sizing chart that includes hip, waist, and bra size measurements. Knowing your measurements is an easy way to ensure purchasing the right size.
2. Comfort Is Critical
The first step to determining whether you’re wearing the right size shapewear is to ask yourself, “Am I comfortable?” If the answer is no, you’re wearing the wrong size.
Shapewear is designed to be supportive and to cinch in problem areas, but manufacturers also design it to be comfortable. After all, if it isn’t comfortable, who would want to wear it? Manufacturers know this and go to great lengths to ensure comfort, so if you’re uncomfortable, try a different size.
3. Move Around
After putting on your shapewear, raise your arms, twist, bend over, sit, cross your legs, kneel down, and perform any other movements that are a part of your regular day. As you move around, notice whether the waist of your shapewear stays in place. If the waist shifts while you’re moving, you need a different size. It may mean you need to go a size larger or a size smaller.
You should also check for binding or squeezing around the legs while you’re moving around. If your shapewear binds around your legs, cuts in, or pinches in any way, you need a different size or maybe shapewear with a longer leg length.
4. Crotch Fitting
The next thing to check is the crotch. The crotch of your shapewear should fit naturally and comfortably. If the crotch sits too low, it will rub against your legs, causing irritation and even difficulty walking. If the crotch sits too high, you’ll experience binding and pinching that will make your shapewear extremely uncomfortable.
5. Torso Smoothness
The torso of your shapewear should fit smoothly across your body. Shapewear is designed to cinch and support, but if you see excessive bulges or pulling, your shapewear is too small. Contrary to what many women believe, wearing a smaller size shapewear than you actually need won’t give you extra support. It will only make your shapewear uncomfortable, and the bulges popping out all over will make it obvious to others that you’re wearing shapewear underneath your clothing.
If you’d like additional support from your shapewear, it’s best to move to a higher support level in the correct size than to move to a smaller size. Alternatively, if you see wrinkles throughout the torso of your shapewear, you need a smaller size. Wrinkles indicate you aren’t getting any support from your shapewear at all.
6. Rolling Edges
If the leg, waist, or any other edges of your shapewear begin to roll, it’s time for some new shapewear. Rolling edges indicate deterioration in the elasticity of your shapewear. You’re much better off purchasing new shapewear than you are trying to reinforce your old worn out shapewear.
You can enjoy a smooth body and trim tummy just like Gwyneth Paltrow, Jessica Alba, and Oprah do without experiencing any negative health benefits by simply wearing the correct size shapewear. Keep these tips in mind and listen to your body when wearing shapewear.
Remember, if you’re uncomfortable, you’re wearing the wrong size. You’ll achieve a flawless look while avoiding any health risks by taking a few seconds to ensure you’re wearing the right size.
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Cindy Prosser is a former underwear model turned freelance writer and mom. She’s a recent “convert” to good-fitting plus size shapewear, which helped her renew her feeling of beauty. She’s working to spread the “good-fit = happiness gospel” for Bare Necessities Shapewear.